1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holder for suspending skis. The holder includes two clamping jaws which are arranged symmetrically opposite each other relative to a vertical plane. The clamping jaws are mounted so as to be rotatable in dependence on each other about horizontal axes which are arranged parallel to each other and spaced from each other. The axes are bolts which are fastened to a support plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A number of possibilities have become known for securely suspending skis outdoors, on a wall or on a frame.
Austrian Patent No. 258 771 discloses a holder for suspending pairs of skis in which the holder has a three-sided E-shaped or S-shaped holding stirrup which is pivotally mounted on a horizontal arm. An outer stirrup side is mounted in a bearing sleeve so as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The other outer stirrup side and the middle stirrup side serve to receive the skis. The weight of the skis cause these two stirrup sides to be pressed against two oppositely located surfaces of the pair of skis, wherein the weight of the pair of skis further increases the holding force. In holders of this type, it can always happen that the skis are released and fall down when the skis are unintentionally touched, particularly when the rubber sleeves placed on the stirrup sides are damaged.
In addition, a holder for skis is to be mentioned which includes a support plate with two rotatable rollers arranged next to each other. The axis of rotation of each roller is eccentric to the center axis of the roller. A circular arc-shaped recess is cut into each roller. Compression springs are placed in each recess. The compression springs have the purpose to rotate the two rollers relative to each other. The rollers are covered with rubber linings. The skis are clamped between the two rollers. This device is of very complicated construction. Moreover, the device is also not very practical. The rollers are pressed on as a result of the force applied by the above-described springs. If the skis are to be placed in the holder, the two rollers must be rotated to such an extent that a sufficiently wide gap is created between the rollers, so that the skis can be placed between the rollers. Since each of the two rollers is supported and spring-loaded individually, it is necessarily required for rotating the rollers to use both hands and, therefore, another person is necessary for placing the skis in the open gap between the rollers. This is a very cumbersome manipulation.
A simple holder for handles is known from Swiss patent 365 501. In this holder, two L-shaped jaws are freely and individually pivotable about parallel axes mounted on a support plate. This type of holder is probably sufficient for simple implements with handles, such as brooms or brushes. However, this device is not useful for skis which have a substantial weight. This is because each of the jaws can assume an arbitrary position since the two jaws are freely pivotably mounted. Thus, the handle can be easily moved either to the right or to the left, so that the angle of the jaws relative to the skis are changed, wherein one of the angles is increased and the other is decreased. This results in an instable support which is not useful for heavy objects, such as skis.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,609,666 also shows and describes a simple holder for handles. However, in this case, the two jaws are connected to each other through a common tension spring. In this holder, a symmetrical position of the jaws relative to each other can only be achieved when the two jaws are jointly pivoted upwardly to such an extent that the handle can be inserted and the two jaws can then be returned uniformly until they make contact with the handle. This is because if only one jaw were actuated, the second jaw would assume an angular position which would correspond to the position of the straight line connecting the center of gravity and the point of application of the spring on the other lever. In other words, the two jaws would have a very different angular position relative to the horizontal. The two jaws would only assume the same angle if the two jaws were completely without load. In that case, the jaws are located on the horizontal straight connecting line between the two pivot axes.